Adrift
by Iris-Stephenie
Summary: The break out from La Bastille turns into something Edge did not expect. Nilin x Edge!
1. Chapter 1

Adrift

Episode 0:Rebirth/Reboot

All of a sudden, my vision is blurred and distorted. From the very beginning, I knew if we, Errorists had struck the heart of Memorize sooner, this would not have happened. We were stabbed in the back. Well, there is no time to grieve over this loss. Now I know I'm gonna be put through wringers. I'm truly sorry Edge.

I rise to my feet, my feet intensely in contact with the freezing metal floor transferring a chill through my body and then into my spine. Touching the surface of my previously burned and skinned knee with an outstretched palm I give out a moan full of pain. The white prisoners outfit however, does not let me touch it directly. I cast my eyes around the room and closely scrutinize whatever I am capable of observing. This must be my cell. With such darkness, I won't be able to see much. I pace back and forth only to come towards a holographic word, glowing orange. My half shut eyes flutter open and struggle to fix their gaze on it. The word flickers and sharpens in front of me: Trauma Room.

I jolt back inadvertently and feel awful thinking about anything. What is their definition of trauma? Besides, whatever that is, I infer it will be 3 times more for a memory hunter. My heart starts pounding wildly and I have butterflies in my stomach noticeably feeling the adrenaline gushing through my body. I hate to acknowledge that I'm defenseless, vulnerable, and most of all, this irritating premonition does not let me out of its tight grip.

Just one spark of hope is left for me at the moment. This cell appears to be soundproof thus I muster up all my remained stamina and cry out his name in utter despair "EDGE!"

The only thing that arrives is prolonged silence. Suddenly, there is a creak on the walls. An orange-coloured sentence illuminates the floor. I gasp in fear as I comprehend the meaning of each word: "Memory wipe in progress". I shut my eyes knowing it's all over now. They say thinking about good memories will ease your pains. Thus, begin cascading memories quickly in mind via my Sensen and seek the most desirable ones. I think about the glorious victories we brothers and sisters have achieved, about how I remixed the authorities' memories, about the way we fought and landed kicks and punches in the Enforcers' torso; the most desirable one however, seems to be something else. I only think about him before I lose my life to trauma: about Edge.

The next instant, I find myself smiling bitterly. A terrible vertigo has got over me. Knowing why they are doing this to me, I shake with fury and hold my head with both of my hands. The vertigo gets worse and worse. I try not to lose my balance but it is no use. Eventually, it forces me to kneel down and curl into myself, all my body now touching the cold metal floor with circular patterns. The pain is excruciating as though poking a needle in every cell of your body. I emit agonised screams and for me, it is considerable barely hearing them.

I toss and turn, and the only thing I am able to see is losing my memories just like that. They move upwards just like a reversed waterfall and I am capable of nothing. Even if I could reach them I am certain there would be no use. Rage flares up inside me and combines with pain. The chills that were just running through my spine turn into heat that radiates my whole body. Now, my head's pounding instead of my heart. The last thing I manage to catch a glimpse of is the sentence turning fully Orange, which means the progress or better to say the dreadful ordeal is bound to be complete. I don't want to think about anything, I just want all this to come to an end. All this torture…

I have a particle of my conscious back when a sound loudly echoes in my mind.

"Host memory wiped. Sensen awaiting new memorial content."

Feebly, I lean against my cold forearms and lift my back; then give a gasp drained of energy as the huge metal door rises. Dazzling light floods everywhere. I can hear a figure's footsteps approaching me.

"Good day, can you hear me?"

A male voice is talking to me. I keep my head low to the ground. If I turn my head, it might hurt even more and I might lose this little balance for good. It is better to ponder my actions and get a dim knowledge of this place before doing anything impulsive. Eventually, I decide to reply.

"Yes."

I breathe out, never had I imagined saying a single word would take this much energy, soon sapped and short of breath. Here comes another question. It appears I am going through a coercive interrogation.

"What is your name?"

"Nilin."

I blurt out quickly without thinking.

"What year?"

He pauses. He's probably waiting for me to respond. What year is it? I desperately long for the number. How can I not know the answer to such a stupid question? What year…This year is probably…It must be…

I feel disoriented enough to pass out. Just for a fleeting moment, I ignore him, trying to stand up instead. There's no use. It takes much more than that. The man though, does not seem surprised; so I deduce my disorientation was just a part of their plan.

"What did you say?"

The voice snarls with hatred. I feel scared, knowing I've done something wrong. Sensing his tall figure right beside, extremely irritates me. He rushes past me, firmly grasping my chin, almost bruising it. His eyes reveal his undeniable fury. I glare back at him, looking him straight in the eyes I firmly say "Nilin."

That's my name whether he likes it or not. I just don't understand.

The more time passes, the more I realise how eager these people are to hurt me in anyway.

His eyes are still tracking mine. His fury has not faded yet.

Eventually, he parts his lips and says something. "Damn, now that's a first."

Just a second after, he violently lets go of my chin. Then begins pacing, his back to me. He walks out of my sight for a while.

"Not to worry, we'll scrape away those last memories. What year is it?"

"I…"

I rest my head against the palm of my hand, with the vertigo becoming more intense. I what? I exert myself and put in another hard effort. No! Nothing comes to me. I utterly give up trying.

"I don't know."

"It's 2084. Do you know where you are?"

Stop it, stop it please. As if my vertigo was not enough, the echo of your voice is making a hell for me. Noticing him gaining sheer pleasure from my apparent amnesia adds more to this ordeal.

"No"

I exhale a breath of desperation and it turns out to make him even more content.

"Not so resistant after all." He comes near me and grabs hold of my chin again.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

He smirks triumphantly. After staring at me for a period of time he heads back towards a hologram and holds a conversation with someone, obviously concerning the person whom he has just belittled.

I wonder what is coming for me. After firmly stating my name like that, I am sure they will do something unpleasant to me. Damn!

"Doctor Quaid?"

"Yes?"

"This subject is displaying some resistance."

One cannot deny the fact that the subject that appears pivotal to them is me.

"Complete the substitution protocols, then send her to me. I'll erase her last barriers myself."

"Yes, doctor."

Still conscious enough to realise the state of being left alone for some minutes. I hear his heavy footsteps keeping their distance from me, fading away. The feeling of content sweeps over me as he leaves.

I push myself off the ground, mustering up the same endurance I just used to answer that bastard. My muscles tense, I catch my breath and stand up for a moment. The indomitable will has revived inside me. However with this motion that is pretty extreme for my body in this state, my knees bend and my vision becomes blurry again. I try to stop the room from spinning but instead, I plummet towards the ground, but fortunately there appears to be a table to run into and clutch, which makes me regain my balance again.

"Good day, raise your head please." someone or rather something orders me. After some minutes, the thing turns out to be just a robot that is hovering about. Nilin, just another effort and it'll all be over. I emit a quite groan of pain, meanwhile using the table as leverage, then tilt my head up to the robot. It almost makes me blind with a green laser light. Apparently it is a kind of scanning. A hologram appears, with my picture on it stating bioscan is complete.

"Thank you, now stand up."

I do what it says because I believe there is no other choice left. This time more carefully, using the table as support, I rise to my feet once more.

"Please follow the orange line to your next assignment."

They treat prisoners like slaves and even worse than that, like an idiot.

The staffs are wearing green and white uniforms. It amazes me that they do not even bother to take a fleeting glimpse of me. Most of them are heavily immersed in discussion.

I start walking in a somewhat corridor and keep track of the orange line. It reaches an orange hexagon in which there is a word saying "Stop."

"I… I don't remember."

Desperation is drowning me inside. I reach a point where I have to turn left but instead I take the passage on my right, rebelliousness wells up inside me with every passing moment. There is nowhere I can escape to. All of it is sealed with glass and other objects. When I hear that disturbing robot once more, I grind my teeth with anger.

"Please don't distract the staff. They will attend to you as soon as…"

And a moment after,

"You are lost, please do not worry, simply return and follow the orange pathway."

Can you just shut up? I turn back follow the main route. With such dizziness, they cannot expect more from me.

All of a sudden, a background buzz is heard in my ears rather than my mind, loud enough to avert my eyes from everything, but I simply ignore it because I am acutely aware that with this disorientation you can expect almost everything.

This place is so bleak. It was dark from the beginning. My mental exertion has reached its climax. I expend a considerable effort to connect the dots. . When nothing happens, plumbing the depths of despair begins. Try not to give in to tears springing to your eyes, tears of pains, vulnerability, rage, confusion… I sigh heavily,

"This is all wrong"

I trudge into another room, some people probably prisoners standing in line.

"Please stand in line and wait for your turn to sit in the chair."

It is one of those positions that I walk to, awaiting my turn. The inner part of my stomach lurches sideways. At least the fact that all this will be over calms me.

The metal tubes come down and fix their position on the man's skull, pressing hard beneath. Then, this sort of electric shock is produced. The man screams hysterically, leaving me in my utmost shock, mixed with fear. However, there is no trace of him left as he is quickly tossed downwards.

"Move forward."

No other options are left.

"Nilin!"

I can swear I heard a voice. It is not from the guards, I can say. It comes right from my own head and into my ears.

"Nilin, can you hear me?"

There is a momentary hesitation before I reply, weighing the bad outcomes against the good ones.

"Yes…"

I exhale hard, keeping my tone as low as possible. His subdued tone shows a special kind of growing worry inside him.

"They're about to wipe your brain Nilin. Don't let them do it!"

Many thoughts dash to my mind simultaneously. Who is this man? Why would he want to protect me? Who are these people that want my brain wiped?

I am quickly interrupted with his realistic demand.

"I need to create a diversion. Be ready to move when I say."

"Who are you?"

I pose the question with impatience. Probaly, I'll have to know someone's true identity before acting at their whim.

There is a pause, and then I can hear him sighing at the other end with immense disappointment. After a while, his sharp tone echoes in my mind in reply.

"I'm the voice you have to listen to if you want to live."

I'm abruptly silenced, realising I have lost contact with him. His sentence is convincing enough to prevent me from demanding further explanation. His sentences are sympathetic, and I feel I can trust him forever. I entirely give myself to him, not being able to make it alone. My fate is in his hands.

"Don't leave me alone"

I plead silently out of breath, misery taking me in. Prisoners start to take one step in the direction of the chair. As weird as it may seem, I feel he is the only one I have left in this world. I even don't know his name. Only one more and it will be me screaming on that chair.

I'm jerked awake when darkness grasps the room and the alarms go off. There are several orange and red lights which go on and off quickly. Soon there will be a security alert.

"Network anomaly. Temporary quarantine established. Thank you for your patience."

"That got their attention!"

The warm voice is back once again. I thank God; a few minutes ago my heart was coming into my mouth. I can simply notice his excitement.

"Nilin, the large metal shutter is going to raise on your left. If you understood me, move your head. I'm linked to your Sensen, I'll feel it."

I don't move my head straight away. Instead, I cast my eyes around. Everything seems desirable.

"The door! Go under it, now!"

He yells back, ordering me to do so. I run through the door, though with this speed you cannot really call it running. I drag myself under the metal shutter, trying my best not to get caught. Just one simple mistake and it will all be over.


	2. Born from our sensens

**Please, if you like the story or have ANY ideas even a single word fav, follow or post reviews. Any opinions would be appreciated.:-)**

**Keep me motivated!**

Episode one

Born From Our Sensens

"We are beyond sympathy at this point. We are beyond humanity."

Ada Wong

I begin wandering around.

"Nilin! This place won't remain deserted for long. You haven't regained your powers yet; so, you'd better keep going fast."

"You still haven't told me about yourself! I mean who are you?"

I interject quickly.

"We don't have time. First, I need to get you out of here. The passage on your right… Take it!"

As I step forward, the inky darkness drowns the place in itself**. **Dullthuds can be heard underneath.

It is the cold weather that makes me shiver uncontrollably, however. The warm breath turns into water and plunges magnificently.

"Okay...Okay."

I run my hand through my messy auburn hair and sigh wearily.

"Where am I?"

I question reluctantly, giving out a warm breath as the ultimate attempt to prevent my fingers from growing numb even more, I keep plodding. The good news is I can see an exit from here that lights the area. It is very far, though.

"Currently, you're kept in La Bastille. A place NO one has managed to escape from!"

He says in a dark tone.

"& No one's walking outside at the moment!"

I say sarcastically.

All of a sudden, there is a ring.

'Church bells?'

It is too late now. A hard knock throws me against a wall.

"Nilin! Can you hear me? Run!"

I'd love to, but I can't. The hit was too extreme and I will need some time to recover. What makes me content though, is the fact that I am near to the exit which I rush to. As soon as I get in, the door closes automatically. Whatever the creature could be, I am relieved at the fact that my survival instincts find sanctuary here.

This is the time that I figure out the place I rushed to, was not an exit, but a platform; a platform which merely resembles an elevator, because there is room for only two people inside. I think I had misunderstood him.

Dragging myself towards its yellow glass cylinder wall, I sit down and lean against it; then draw in a fresh breath. The next thing done is wiping my sweat dripping from my forehead.

"Shit!"

He says frantically.

"You're going straight to the heart of La Bastille. Hope that's what you wanted!"

'What the…?'

'How can he blame me for that? '

Instead, I decide to cut the crap and get straight to the point.

"Look! I've had enough of everything. In short, who are you and why would these people torture me like this?"

I ask in an assertive tone.

I wonder if he is hesitating to reply. There is a pause and some seconds later,

"The enemy is Memorize, a company that has digitized and commoditized memories. They call it Sensen technology and the world is getting addicted to it. You follow?"

"Yes."

"My name is Edge and you have to trust me "sis". You are an Errorist, just like me! We all fight for a cause and will make sure no firm might build such a surveillance society and that all these delicate human beings will soon understand we Errorists were right. Quick, the elevator is going up and it's about to reach the 117th floor."

'117th?'

"Edge, how did I end up here?"

"It's a long story. We've got some business to take care of. Remember; this place is 100 times more dangerous than the prison itself. Your disorientation might cause you trouble so STAY IN SHADOWS."

The elevator dings and the door opens. A remarkable view catches me off guard. There is no doubt that this place is exclusively designed for governors. Right in front of the elevator, a red luxurious carpet is rolled stretching endlessly to somewhere very far away in the hall; so far that cannot be seen from here. Magnificent colossal statues stand everywhere. Parallel to the elevator beside the red carpet, are huge fluted grey columns. There are big wooden dining tables in the either sides with huge golden candlesticks. The floor is made of glass and the reflection of the huge chandeliers as well as statues can be noticed upon. As the door opens, I peak around cautiously. There is a footstep which forces me to jolt backwards and lean against the wall of the elevator as much as I can in an attempt not to be seen. When they are distant enough though, I quickly dash behind the nearest column in reach.

While hiding behind the column, I watch as some soldiers come and assemble in the centre of the hall with rigorous discipline. All of a sudden, this stentorian voice makes me deeply shocked. I quickly turn away my head.

"You useless imbeciles! You let her break out just like that?"

A feminine voice hollered. I am somewhere undeniably close to her. My heart starts pounding wildly. I lean my back heavily against the column and try to remain immobile. Any rash motion could unveil my spot. Waiting, while remaining silent would suit this situation better.

"We are truly sorry Madame! Nothing could be done. You are highly aware if anything happens to his beloved memory hunter, nothing can get in his way!"

'Memory hunter?'

I'm getting curious.

"I don't care! I want her, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW. If we get our hands on her, then tying Edge's hands will be inevitable. Now get the fuck out of here and don't even return without her!"

They leave the place in a fraction of second. After I double check no one is out there, I quickly head towards the elevator.

No…

No, no, no! It's already going to the 300th floor. I cannot wait that long.

Instead, try to seek additional ways in the hall. I don't want to fall behind schedule.

Suddenly, someone firmly grabs my hand. I want to scream and wriggle free.

"Let go of me, you bastard!"

He quickly gags me by pressing his palm against my mouth and says "Hush! My name is Bad and Edge has sent me to lead you out of here."

I break free and look at him from head to toe. He doesn't have anything in common with the soldiers.

"Are you an Errorist as well?"

"Yes. Let's move. I'll talk to you while heading out. Quick, before they come!"

"I suppose nightmares haven't finished yet." My murmurs fill in the space.

We move, preferably in shaded spots.

"How do you know no one's gonna come here again?"

"This place is used for very special occasions and normal guards may not enter."

"I see."

We keep going until get to the top of some short stairs. He notices my lengthy silence.

"Hey, why are you so silent as the dead?"

"Nothing. I just feel an empty hole inside."

"It's because your memory has been totally wiped. Don't worry, we'll get them back as soon as possible."

We turn left, reaching a dark corridor.

"Edge refuses to tell me about my past."

He smiles sweetly back.

"No. He is not refusing to, but as a matter of fact he really cares about your safety. He cannot stay calm until we make sure you are out of reach of these people and under maximum protection."

"Why would you care about me this much?"

"It's better to say why would they care this much Nilin?! You know you're an Errorist and each Errorist is a revolutionary fighter. We are the most talented memory hunters; which means we can pillage memories. However, there is something very special about you which makes you the superior one here. Not only you can steal them, but you can also alter their memories to your whim. This is what makes them fearful towards you."

Now I can gradually find some logical reasons as to why these have been happening around. There is something I've been turning over in mind ever since. The thought of Edge being my brother is, well a bit irritating. I feel he holds a special role in my past.

"Bad?"

"Yes?"

"Are Edge and I siblings?"

His eyes widen, performing a sudden movement. It seems as if he is trying to hide something from me. Then he is calm once again and replies

"No. There's nothing between you two."

There is a bang.

"It seems we have to part. Here, just follow this corridor and you'll be safe. See you around."


End file.
